document_title: America's Got Talent

question_text: where does the winner of america's got talent perform

question_tokens: where does the winner of america 's got talent perform

text: America's Got Talent

text: Series overview[edit]

text:
Season
Duration
Winner's prize2
Finalists
Presenter
Judges

Premiere
Finale
Winner
Runner-up
Third place

1
June 21, 2006
August 17, 2006
$1,000,000
Bianca Ryan

All That & The Millers

Regis
Philbin
David Hasselhoff
Piers Morgan
Brandy Norwood
N/A1

2
June 5, 2007
August 21, 2007
Terry Fator
Cas Haley
Butterscotch
Jerry
Springer
Sharon Osbourne

3
June 17, 2008
October 1, 2008
Neal E. Boyd
Eli Mattson
Nuttin' But Stringz

4
June 23, 2009
September 16, 2009
Kevin Skinner
Bárbara Padilla
Recycled Percussion
Nick
Cannon

5
June 1, 2010
September 15, 2010
Michael Grimm
Jackie Evancho
Fighting Gravity
Howie Mandel

6
May 31, 2011
September 14, 2011
Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr.
Silhouettes
Team iLuminate

7
May 14, 2012
September 13, 2012
Olate Dogs
Tom Cotter
William Close
Howard Stern

8
June 4, 2013
September 18, 2013
Kenichi Ebina
Taylor Williamson
Jimmy Rose
Mel B
Heidi Klum

9
May 27, 2014
September 17, 2014
Mat Franco
Emily West
AcroArmy

10
May 26, 2015
September 16, 2015
Paul Zerdin
Drew Lynch
Oz Pearlman

11
May 31, 2016
September 14, 2016
Grace VanderWaal
The Clairvoyants
Jon Dorenbos
Simon Cowell

12
May 30, 2017
September 20, 2017
Darci Lynne Farmer
Angelica Hale
Light Balance
Tyra
Banks

text:
^ A fourth judge was added in season eight.
^ Beginning with season three, the prize includes the one million dollars, payable in a financial annuity over 40 years, and a chance to headline a show on the Las Vegas Strip. The length of the headlining stint has varied, with season four's prize including a 10-week schedule[6] and season eleven's lasting three days.[6]
A book was released in 2013 titled, Inside AGT: The Untold Stories of America's Got Talent. It describes the seasons, contestants, judges, and production techniques of the show and contains detailed interviews with contestants from all seasons.[7]

tag: ol

text: Guest judges[edit]

text: Starting with the tenth season, each of the main judges invited a guest judge to join the judging panel for one night during the Judge Cuts stage of the competition. The guest judges had the ability to employ the golden buzzer to bypass the other judges and advance an act to the live shows. The first guest judge, Neil Patrick Harris, appeared at the invitation of Howard Stern in episode eight of season ten, which aired on July 14, 2015. Michael Bublé appeared at the invitation of Heidi Klum in episode nine of season ten, which aired on July 21, 2015. Marlon Wayans appeared at the invitation of Howie Mandel in episode ten of season ten, which aired on July 28, 2015. Piers Morgan appeared at the invitation of Mel B in episode eleven of season ten, which aired on August 4, 2015.[8] Beginning with the eleventh season the guest judges were announced without any indication if they were invited by one of the regular judges.[9] This continued into the twelfth season when the guest judges were announced by NBC through various outlets.[10][11][12]

text:
Season
Guest Judge (in order of appearance)

10
Neil Patrick Harris
Michael Bublé
Marlon Wayans
Piers Morgan

11
Ne-Yo
Reba McEntire
George Lopez
Louis Tomlinson

12
Chris Hardwick[13]
DJ Khaled[14]
Laverne Cox[15]
Seal[16]

text: Selection process[edit]

text: This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: Producers' auditions[edit]

text: The general selection process of the show begins with separate producers' auditions held in various cities across the United States, some of which host only the producers' auditions, and some of which also host judges' auditions held in theaters. This round is held several months before the judges' audition. Acts that have made it through the producers' audition then audition in front of the judges and a live audience.[17]

text: Judges' Auditions[edit]

text: Following the producers' auditions, acts audition in front of (as of 2013) four celebrity judges. These auditions are held in theaters in various cities nationally and are later televised. Judges may individually register their disapproval of an act by pressing a red buzzer, which lights up their corresponding X above the stage. Any performer who receives X's (3 from season 1-7, or 4 from season 8-) from the judges must stop performing and is eliminated. Since season three (2008), large audiences have also been a factor in the judging process, as their reaction to an act's performance may swing or influence a judge's vote. If an act receives three or more "yes" votes, they advance to the next round of competition. However, in the majority of seasons, several acts do not perform in the second round and are immediately sent home by the judges without a second performance.

text: Golden Buzzer[edit]

text: Introduced in season nine, the "Golden Buzzer" is located on the center of the judges' desk and may be used once per season by each judge. In season 9, a judge could press the golden buzzer to save an act from elimination, regardless of the number of X's earned from the other judges. Starting in season 10 and onward, any act that receives a golden buzzer advances directly to the live show; and in season 11, the hosts also were given the power to use the golden buzzer. The golden buzzer is also used in the Judge Cuts format.

text:
Season
Nick Cannon
Howie Mandel
Mel B
Heidi Klum
Howard Stern

9
N/A
Emmanuel & Phillip Hudson
N/A
Dustin's Dojo

10
Drew Lynch
Sharon Irving
Arielle Baril
Freckled Sky

Season
Nick Cannon
Howie Mandel
Mel B
Heidi Klum
Simon Cowell

11
Dorothy Williams
Grace VanderWaal
Laura Bretan
Sal Valentinetti
Calysta Bevier

Season
Tyra Banks
Howie Mandel
Mel B
Heidi Klum
Simon Cowell

12
Light Balance
Christian Guardino
Darci Lynne Farmer
Angelina Green
Mandy Harvey

text: Judge cuts[edit]

text: From season two (2007) to season eight (2013), Las Vegas Week has been an intermediary televised taped round between the auditions and the live shows. This round takes place in a notable venue on the Las Vegas Strip. Names for this round in previous seasons have included "Las Vegas Callbacks" and "Vegas Verdicts". The Las Vegas round generally consists of acts performing a second time for the judges (except for season four in 2009), who then pick select acts to move on to the live shows. An act eliminated in Las Vegas Week is not completely excluded from the live show competition, as several seasons have featured contestants being brought back from this round as "wild card" acts.

text: Prior to the inclusion of this round, the judges would have a list containing a number of acts which advanced past the auditions during each live show. The judges would then pick ten acts from that group each week, leaving several acts without the chance to perform.

text: In season nine (2014), acts went to New York instead of Las Vegas to determine a place in the live shows.[18]

text: YouTube auditions[edit]

text: From season five (2010) to season seven (2012), acts who did not attend live auditions could instead submit a taped audition online via YouTube. Acts from the online auditions were then selected to compete in front of the judges and a live audience during the "live shows" part of the season, prior to the semi-finals. The most successful act of the YouTube auditions was Jackie Evancho, who went on to place second in season five.

text: Before the inclusion of this round, the show had a separate audition episode in seasons three and four (2008–2009) for contestants who posted videos on MySpace.[19]

text: Live shows[edit]

text: During the live shows, a group of acts ranging from only a Top 20 (season two), to as many as 60, compete for viewers' and judges' votes. In the first season, the judges could not end an act's performance, but could either "check" or "X" the performance during their critique. Since season two (2007), judges have been able to end an act's performance early, and the "check" was removed. Generally, acts each perform first in a live round consisting of a series of quarterfinals. In seasons with YouTube auditions, the round of live judging of YouTube finalists takes place then, as part of these quarterfinals. Then there may be additional shows for "Wild Card" acts—acts that one or more of the judges select to be given one more chance for audience vote despite previous elimination. From these shows, the existing group is narrowed through votes by the public and/or the judges (depending on the season). Acts then move on to a semifinal round, and even further rounds (such as a "Top 8" or a "Top 10", depending on the season) through a series of weekly shows, which trim the number of acts down each time based on a public vote. In the majority of seasons, judges have had no vote from the semifinals. All these rounds culminate in a live final, which has consisted of anywhere from four to ten acts throughout the seasons. The act with the most votes is declared the winner, given $1 million, and, since season three (2008), a chance to headline a show on the Las Vegas Strip.

text: During seasons one through six (2006–11), the live shows were filmed at Stage 36 of CBS Television City in Los Angeles. In season seven (2012), the live shows were held at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. From seasons eight through ten (2013–15), live performances were held at Radio City Music Hall in New York. From season eleven (2016) onwards the live shows are being held at the Dolby Theatre.[20]

text: For seasons five through eight (2010–13), the show also made the winner the headline act of a national tour with runners up following the final show, stopping in 25 cities.[21][22] For season nine, however (2014), there was no tour; two shows were held in Las Vegas for the winner and some of the runner-up acts.[23] (See #America's Got Talent Live, below.)

text: Season synopses[edit]

text: Season 1 (2006)[edit]

text: In May 2006, NBC announced the new show. The audition tour took place in June. Auditions were held in the following locations: Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago. Some early ads for the show implied that the winning act would also headline a show at a casino, possibly in Las Vegas; however, this was replaced with a million dollars due to concerns of minors playing in Las Vegas, should one become a champion. More than 12 million viewers watched the series premiere (which is more than American Idol got during its premiere in 2002). The two-hour broadcast was the night's most-watched program on U.S. television and the highest-rated among viewers aged 18 to 49 (the prime-time audience that matters most to advertisers), Nielsen Media Research reported.[24]

text: On the season finale, there was an unaired segment that was scheduled to appear after Aly & AJ. The segment featured Tom Green dressing in a parrot costume and squawking with a live parrot to communicate telepathically. Green then proceeded to fly up above the audience, shooting confetti streamers out of his costume onto the crowd below.

text: In season one, the show was hosted by Regis Philbin and judged by actor David Hasselhoff, singer Brandy Norwood, and journalist Piers Morgan.

text: The winner of the season was 11-year-old singer Bianca Ryan, and the runners-up were clogging group All That and musical group The Millers.

text: Season 2 (2007)[edit]

text: After initially announcing in June 2006 that season two would premiere in January 2007 and would air at 8 pm on Sunday nights, with no separate results show, the network changed that, pushing the show back to the summer, where the first season had enjoyed great success. This move kept the show out of direct competition with American Idol, which had a similar premise and was more popular.

text: In AGT's place, another reality-based talent show, Grease: You're The One That I Want, began airing on Sunday nights in the same time slot on NBC beginning in January.[25] In March, NBC announced that Philbin would not return as host of the show, and that Jerry Springer would succeed him as host,[26] with Sharon Osbourne (formerly a judge on Cowell's UK show The X Factor) succeeding Brandy Norwood as a judge.

text: The season finale was shown Tuesday, August 21, with the winner being Terry Fator, a singing impressionist ventriloquist. The runner-up was singer Cas Haley.

text: Season 3 (2008)[edit]

text: Season three premiered on June 17, 2008. Auditions took place in Charlotte, Nashville, Orlando, New York, Dallas, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Chicago from January to April. A televised MySpace audition also took place.

text: Season three differed from the previous two in many ways. Auditions were held in well-known theaters across the nation, and a new title card was introduced, featuring the American flag as background. The X's matched the ones on Britain's Got Talent as did the judges' table. Like the previous season, the Las Vegas callbacks continued, but there were forty acts selected to compete in the live rounds, instead of twenty. This season also contained several results episodes, but not on a regular basis. The show took a hiatus for two-and-a-half weeks for the 2008 Summer Olympics, but returned with the live rounds on August 26.

text: Neal E. Boyd, an opera singer, was named the winner on October 1. Eli Mattson, a singer and pianist, was runner-up.

text: Season 4 (2009)[edit]

text: Season four premiered on Tuesday, June 23, 2009. It was the first to be broadcast in high definition. Auditions for this season were held in more than nine major cities including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Miami, Tacoma, Boston, and Houston. Los Angeles auditions kicked off the January 29–31 tour at the Los Angeles Convention Center, followed by the February 7–8 Atlanta auditions. New York and Miami auditions were held during March. Tacoma auditions were held April 25 and 26. In addition to live auditions and the ability to send in a home audition tape, season four offered the opportunity for acts to upload their video direct to NBC.com/agt with their registration. This year's host was Nick Cannon. Jerry Springer said that he could not return as host due to other commitments.[27]

text: The audition process in season four was the same as the previous season, but the 'Las Vegas Callbacks' was renamed 'Vegas Verdicts'. This was the first season since season one where results episodes lasted one hour on a regular basis. The title card this year featured bands of the American flag and stars waving around the America's Got Talent logo.

text: On September 16, country music singer Kevin Skinner was named the season's winner. The grand prize was $1 million and a 10-week headline show at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. The runner-up was Bárbara Padilla, an opera singer.[28]

text: Season 5 (2010)[edit]

text: For season five, the network had considered moving the show to the fall, after rival series So You Think You Can Dance transferred from the summer to fall season in 2009.[29] NBC ultimately decided to keep Talent a summer show.

text: Open auditions were held in the winter to early spring of 2010 in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando, and Portland (Oregon). Non-televised producers' auditions were also held in Atlanta and Philadelphia. For the first time, online auditions were also held via YouTube.

text: David Hasselhoff left to host a new television show[30] and was replaced by comedian and game show host Howie Mandel. This made Piers Morgan the only original judge left in the show.[31] The show premiered Tuesday, June 1, 2010, at 8 pm ET. Afterward, Talent resumed the same time slot as the previous season.[32]

text: On September 15, singer Michael Grimm was named the winner. He won a $1 million prize and a chance to perform at the Caesars Palace Casino and Resort on the Las Vegas Strip, as well as headline the 25-city America's Got Talent Live Tour along with runner-up Jackie Evancho, Fighting Gravity, Prince Poppycock, and the other top ten finalists.[21][22]

text: Season 6 (2011)[edit]

text: Season six premiered on Tuesday, May 31, 2011, with a two-hour special. Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne continued as judges after taking jobs on Piers Morgan Tonight and The Talk, respectively. On The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on July 27, 2010, Morgan officially stated that he had signed a three-year contract to stay on Talent.[33]

text: The show held televised auditions in Los Angeles, New York, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Seattle, and Houston. Non-televised producers' auditions were also held in Denver and Chicago. Previews of auditions were shown during NBC's The Voice premiere on April 26. Online auditions via YouTube were also held for the second time in the show's run, beginning on May 4. Finalists for this audition circuit competed live on August 9.

text: On Wednesday, September 14, Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr., a Frank Sinatra-style singer, was named the winner. Dance group Silhouettes was runner-up.

text: Season 7 (2012)[edit]

text: Season seven premiered on May 14, 2012. The first round of auditions, which are judged by producers, were held in New York, Washington, D.C., Tampa, Charlotte, Austin, Anaheim, St. Louis, and San Francisco from October 2011 to February 2012.[34] The show began its live theater performances at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark on February 27.

text: Piers Morgan did not return as a judge for season seven, due to his work hosting CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight,[35] and he was replaced by Howard Stern. Since Stern hosts his SiriusXM radio show in New York City, the live rounds of the show were moved to nearby Newark, New Jersey.[36] In December 2011, Simon Cowell, the show's executive producer, announced that the show would be receiving a "top-to-bottom makeover", confirming that there would be new graphics, lighting, theme music, show intro, logo, and a larger live audience at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark.[37] On July 2, at the first live performance show of the season, their new location and stage were unveiled in a two-and-a-half-hour live special. A new set was also unveiled with a revised judges' desk and a refreshed design of the "X".

text: On August 6, Sharon Osbourne announced that she would leave America's Got Talent after the current season, in response to allegations that her son Jack Osbourne was discriminated against by the producers of the upcoming NBC program Stars Earn Stripes.[38]

text: On September 13, Olate Dogs were announced the winner of the season, becoming the show's first completely non-singing act to win the competition and also the first non-solo act to win. Comedian Tom Cotter finished as the runner-up.

text: Season 8 (2013)[edit]

text: Season eight of AGT premiered on Tuesday, June 4, 2013.[39] The new season was announced in a promotional video shown during a commercial break for season seven's second live show. Sharon Osbourne initially stated that she would not return for the season,[40] but later said that she was staying with the show "for now."[41] Osbourne confirmed that she would be leaving the show after a feud with NBC on August 6, 2012.[42][43]

text: On February 20, 2013, it was announced that one of the Spice Girls members, Mel B (Melanie Brown), would replace Sharon Osbourne as the third judge. Entertainment Weekly also reported at the same time that NBC was looking at a possible fourth judge to be added.[44] On March 3, it was announced that supermodel Heidi Klum would be joining the show as the new fourth judge.[45]

text: An Audition Cities poll for the season was announced on July 11, 2012. The first batch of Audition Cities were announced as Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland (Oregon), New Orleans, Birmingham, Memphis, Nashville, Savannah, Raleigh, Norfolk, San Antonio, New York, Columbus (Ohio), and Chicago. This season, the auditions traveled to more cities than ever before.[46] America's Got Talent moved its live shows to Radio City Music Hall in New York for season eight.[47] Auditions in front of the judges and an audience began taping on March 4. The show traveled to New Orleans, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Antonio.[47]

text: On September 18, 2013, martial arts dancer/mime Kenichi Ebina was announced the winner of the season, the first dance act to win the competition. Stand-up comedian Taylor Williamson was the runner-up.

text: Season 9 (2014)[edit]

text: Season nine premiered on Tuesday, May 27, 2014, at 8 pm ET.[48] The producers' auditions began on October 26, 2013, in Miami. Other audition sites included Atlanta, Baltimore, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, and New York. Contestants could also submit a video of their audition online.[49] Auditions in front of the judges were held February 20–22 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, which also hosted the live shows during season seven. Judges' auditions were held in New York City at Madison Square Garden from April 3 to 6 and in Los Angeles at the Dolby Theatre from April 21 to 26.[50]

text: The live shows return to Radio City Music Hall on July 29. There was also a new twist in the show, where "Judgment Week" was held in New York City instead of Las Vegas. Judgment Week was originally intended to be held in front of a live studio audience, but after three acts performed, the producers scrapped the live audience concept.[18] This season also came with the addition of a "Golden Buzzer," which was unveiled on that same year's Britain's Got Talent. Each judge can press the buzzer only once each season that can save an act, typically used when there is a tie.[51]

text: For this season, contestants were invited to submit a video of their performance to The Today Show website throughout June, and the top three entrants performed their acts on The Today Show on July 23, 2014. The performer with the most votes, Cornell Bhangra, filled the 48th spot in the quarterfinals.

text: On September 17, magician Mat Franco was announced the winner of the season, the first magic act to win the competition. Singer Emily West was the runner-up.

text: Season 10 (2015)[edit]

text: Season ten premiered on May 26, 2015. Producer auditions began on November 2, 2014, in Tampa. Other audition sites included Nashville, Richmond (Virginia), New York, Chicago, St. Louis, San Antonio, Albuquerque, San Francisco, Seattle, Boise, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. Online submissions were also accepted.[52]

text: Howard Stern rumored on his radio show on October 1, 2014, that he might not return,[53] but announced on December 8 that he would return for the upcoming season. Nick Cannon returned for his seventh season as host.[54] On February 9, 2015, Howie Mandel said he would return for season ten[55] and Mel B announced the next day that she would be returning as well.[56] It was revealed on February 11 that Heidi Klum would also be returning.[57]

text: It was announced on December 4, 2014, that Cris Judd would be named as a dance scout.[58] He previously worked on the show as a choreographer behind the scenes, and on the New Zealand version of Got Talent as a judge.

text: Auditions in front of the judges began on March 2, 2015, at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.[59][60] They continued at the Manhattan Center in New York City and the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. A special "extreme" audition session was held outside at the Fairplex in Pomona, California, where danger acts performed outside for the judges, who were seated at an outdoor stage.

text: During NBC's summer press tour, it was announced that America's Got Talent would be making their "Golden Buzzer" more like Britain's Got Talent where the contestant that gets the buzzer will be sent directly to the live shows.[61] An official trailer for the season was released, which showed that Dunkin Donuts was the show's official sponsor for the season, with their cups prominently placed on the judges' desk. Dunkin replaced Snapple, which sponsored the show since season seven.

text: On June 24, Howard Stern announced on The Howard Stern Show that season ten would be his last season as judge. Stern said, "In all seriousness, I’ve told you, I’m just too f*cking busy…something's got to give… NBC's already asked me what my intentions are for next year, whether or not I’d come back, I kind of have told them I think this is my last season. Not I think, this is my last season".[62]

text: On September 16, Paul Zerdin was announced the winner of the season, making him the second ventriloquist to win. Comedian Drew Lynch was runner-up, and magician mentalist Oz Pearlman was in Third Place.

text: Season 11 (2016)[edit]

text: America's Got Talent was renewed for an eleventh season on September 1, 2015.[63] The season will have preliminary open call auditions in Detroit, New York, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, San Jose, San Diego, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Orlando, and Dallas.[64] As in years past, hopeful contestants may also submit auditions online.[65]

text: On October 22, 2015, it was announced that creator Simon Cowell would replace Howard Stern as a judge for season 11.[3] On January 12, 2016, it was announced that Mel B, Heidi Klum, and Howie Mandel would all return as judges, with Nick Cannon returning as host. The live shows will also move from New York back to Los Angeles, due to Howard Stern's departure.[66] The live shows will be held at the Dolby Theatre.[67]

text: Auditions in front of the judges began on March 3, 2016 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California.[68] The season premiered on May 31, 2016.[69]

text: On September 14, 12-year-old singer-songwriter and ukulele player, Grace VanderWaal was announced as the winner making it the second time that a female act has won the show since Season 1, and the second child act to win the competition. Magician mentalists The Clairvoyants was runner-up, and magician Jon Dorenbos was in Third Place.

text: Season 12 (2017)[edit]

text: On August 2, 2016, it was announced that host Nick Cannon and all four judges would be returning for season 12.[70] Later that year, on October 4, Simon Cowell signed a contract to remain as a judge through to 2019 (Season 14).[71]

text: On February 13, 2017, Nick Cannon announced he would not return as host for the twelfth season, citing creative differences between him and executives at NBC. The resignation comes in the wake of news that the network considered firing Cannon after he made disparaging remarks about NBC in his recent Showtime comedy special, Stand Up, Don't Shoot.[72] Cannon, however, was technically under contract to host and could potentially have been sued by NBC for breach of contract, though this was ultimately considered unlikely. NBC executives did not accept his resignation and had expected Cannon to return, but ultimately began the search for a new host.[73][74]

text: NBC announced supermodel Tyra Banks as the new host on March 12, 2017 after Cannon's departure.[4]

text: The season premiered on Tuesday, May 30, 2017.[75]

text: On September 20, Darci Lynne Farmer won the twelfth season, becoming the third ventriloquist, third child act and the third female act to win the competition (second year in a row after VanderWaal's win in 2016). Child singer Angelica Hale was announced as the runner-up, Ukrainian dance act Light Balance finished in third place, deaf musician Mandy Harvey finished in fourth place and dog act Sara & Hero finished in fifth place.

text: Post-show[edit]

text: America's Got Talent Live[edit]

text: This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: America's Got Talent Live is a show on the Las Vegas Strip that features the winner of each season of America's Got Talent as the main performance.

text: In 2009, America's Got Talent Live appeared on the Las Vegas Strip appearing Wednesday through Sunday at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, in a limited ten-week run from October through January featuring winner Kevin Skinner, runner-up Barbara Padilla and fourth-place finisher The Texas Tenors. It featured the final ten acts which made it to the season four (2009) finale. Jerry Springer emceed, commuting weekly between Stamford, Connecticut, tapings of his self-named show and Las Vegas.[76]

text: In 2010, on the first live show of season five, the winner headlined America's Got Talent Live from Caesars Palace Casino and Resort on the Las Vegas Strip, which was part of a 25-city tour that featured the season's finalists. Jerry Springer returned as both host of the tour and the headline show.[77]

text: In 2012, the tour returned, featuring winners Olate Dogs, Spencer Horsman, Joe Castillo, Lightwire Theater, David Garibaldi and his CMYK's, Jarrett and Raja, Tom Cotter, and other fan favorites.

text: In 2013, after the success of the 2012 tour, another tour was scheduled, featuring season eight's winner, Kenichi Ebina, and finalists Collins Key, Jimmy Rose, Taylor Williamson, Cami Bradley, The KriStef Brothers, and Tone the Chiefrocca.[78] Tone hosted the tour.

text: In 2014, America's Got Talent Live announced that performances in Las Vegas on September 26 and 27 would feature Taylor Williamson, the season eight (2013) runner-up, and the top finalists for season nine: Mat Franco, Emily West, Quintavious Johnson, AcroArmy, Emil and Dariel, Miguel Dakota, and Sons of Serendip.[23]

text: In 2015, no tour was held. Instead, three shows were given at the Planet Hollywood Resort in Las Vegas featuring winner Paul Zerdin, runner-up Drew Lynch, and fan favorite Piff the Magic Dragon.

text: In 2016, four shows were given at the Planet Hollywood Resort in Las Vegas. They featured the top two finalists for season 11, Grace VanderWaal and The Clairvoyants, as well as finalist Tape Face.[79]

text: In 2017, four shows are planned at the Planet Hollywood Resort in Las Vegas. They will feature winner Darci Lynne, runner-up Angelica Hale, third-placed Light Balance, and finalist Preacher Lawson.[80]

text: Holiday Spectacular[edit]

text: NBC broadcast the two-hour America's Got Talent Holiday Spectacular on December 19, 2016, hosted by Cannon with performances by Grace VanderWaal, Jackie Evancho, Andra Day, Penn & Teller, Pentatonix, Terry Fator, Mat Franco, Piff the Magic Dragon, Olate Dogs, Professor Splash, Jon Dorenbos and others, and featuring the Season 11 judges, including Klum, who sang a duet with Season 11 finalist Sal Valentinetti.[81] The special drew 9.5 million viewers.[82]

text: Reception[edit]

text: U.S. television ratings[edit]

text: Since the show began, its ratings have been very high, ranging from 9 million viewers to as many as 16 million viewers, generally averaging around 11 million viewers. The show has also ranked high in the 18–49 demographic, usually rating anywhere from as low as 1.6 to as high as 4.6 throughout its run. Audition shows and performance shows rate higher on average than results shows.

text: Although the show's ratings have been high, the network usually keeps the show's run limited to before the official start of the next television season in the third week of September with some reductions or expansions depending on Olympic years, where finale ratings are usually lower due to returning programming on other networks.

text: The highest rated season in overall viewers to date is season four (2009). The most-watched episode has been the finale of season five (2010), with 16.41 million viewers. The series premiere and an episode featuring the first part of Las Vegas Week in season six (2011) have each tied for highest rating among adults 18–49, both having a 4.6 rating.

text:
Season
Premiered
Ended
TV season
Timeslot (ET)
Season
viewers
Season
ranking

Date
Viewers
(in millions)
Date
Viewers
(in millions)

1
June 21, 2006
12.41
Final Performances: August 16, 2006

2005–06
Wednesday 8:00 pm

1

Season Finale: August 17, 2006
12.05
Thursday 9:00 pm

1

2
June 5, 2007
12.93
Final Performances: August 20, 2007

2006–07
Tuesday 8:00 pm

1

Season Finale: August 21, 2007
13.87

3
June 17, 2008
12.80
Final Performances: September 30, 2008
10.23
2007–08
Tuesday 9:00 pm (June 17 – August 5)
Tuesday 8:00 pm (after August 26)

1

Season Finale: October 1, 2008
12.55
Wednesday 9:00 pm
(after August 27)

1

4[83][84][85]
June 23, 2009
11.30
Final Performances: September 15, 2009
13.84
2008–09
Tuesday 9:00 pm

1

Season Finale: September 16, 2009
15.53
Wednesday 9:00 pm

1

5[86][87]
June 1, 2010
12.35
Final Performances: September 14, 2010
14.60
2009–10
Tuesday 9:00 pm

1

Season Finale: September 15, 2010
16.41
Wednesday 9:00 pm

1

6[88][89][90]
May 31, 2011
15.28
Final Performances: September 13, 2011
13.67
2010–11
Tuesday 8:00 pm (May 31 – July 5)
Tuesday 9:00 pm (after July 5)
12.65
1

Season Finale: September 14, 2011
14.37
Wednesday 9:00 pm
(after June 22)
11.49[91]
1

7[92][93][94]
May 14, 2012
10.48
Final Performances: September 12, 2012
11.05
2011-12
Monday 8:00 pm (May 14 – July 3)
Tuesday 8:00 pm (after July 3)
10.48[95]
1

Season Finale: September 13, 2012
10.59
Tuesday 9:00 pm (May 14 – July 3)
Wednesday 9:00 pm (after July 3)
10.58[91]
1

8[96][97][98]
June 4, 2013
12.41
Final Performances: September 17, 2013
11.19
2012–13
Tuesday 8:00 pm
11.22[99]
1

Season Finale: September 18, 2013
11.49
Wednesday 8:00 pm
(after July 10)
10.34[100]
1

9[101][102][103]
May 27, 2014
12.00
Final Performances: September 16, 2014
11.46
2013–14
Tuesday 8:00 pm (May 27 – July 15)
Tuesday 9:00 pm (after July 22)
10.31[104]
1

Season Finale: September 17, 2014
12.21
Wednesday 9:00 pm
(after July 23)
10.37[105]
1

10[106][107][108]
May 26, 2015
11.09
Final Performances: September 15, 2015
11.33
2014–15
Tuesday 8:00 pm
10.70[109]
1

Season Finale: September 16, 2015
9.54
Wednesday 8:00 pm
(after August 12)
9.07[110]
1

11[111][112][113]
May 31, 2016
11.67
Final Performances: September 13, 2016
13.97
2015–16
Tuesday 8:00 pm
11.71[114]
1

Season Finale: September 14, 2016
14.41
Wednesday 8:00 pm
(after July 5)
10.97[115]
1

12[116][117][118]
May 30, 2017
12.37
Final Performances: September 19, 2017
14.70
2016–17
Tuesday 8:00 pm
TBA
TBA

Season Finale: September 20, 2017
15.64
Wednesday 8:00 pm
(after August 9)
TBA
TBA

text: Awards and nominations[edit]

text:
Year
Association
Category
Result
Ref.

2011
People's Choice Awards
Favorite Competition Show
Nominated
[119]

Kids' Choice Awards
Favorite Reality Show
Nominated
[120]

Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Hairstyling For A Multi-Camera Series Or Special
Nominated
[121]

2012
Kids' Choice Awards
Favorite Reality Show
Nominated
[122]

Teen Choice Awards
Choice Summer TV Show
Nominated
[123]

Choice Male TV Personality: Nick Cannon
Nominated
[124]

2013
Kids' Choice Awards
Favorite Reality Show
Nominated
[125]

2014
People's Choice Awards
Favorite TV Competition Show
Nominated
[126]

Kids' Choice Awards
Favorite Reality Show
Nominated
[127]

2015
People's Choice Awards
Favorite TV Competition Show
Nominated
[128]

Kids' Choice Awards
Favorite Talent Competition Show
Nominated
[129]

2016
People's Choice Awards
Favorite TV Competition Show
Won
[130]

Kids' Choice Awards
Favorite Talent Competition Show
Nominated
[131]

2017
People's Choice Awards
Favorite TV Competition Show
Nominated
[130]

Kids' Choice Awards
Favorite Reality Show
Won

text: Top-selling albums by former contestants[edit]

text: Sales numbers and rankings are U.S. sales only.

text:
Rank
Former contestant
Total US sales
Albums

1
Jackie Evancho
(season 5, runner-up)
3,000,000+[132]

Prelude to a Dream (2009) #121[133]
O Holy Night (2010) #2 (Platinum certification)[134]
Dream with Me (2011) #2 (Gold certification)[134][135]
Heavenly Christmas (2011) #11[134][136]
Songs from the Silver Screen (2012) #7[137]
Awakening (2014) #17[138][139]
Someday at Christmas (2016) #93[140]
Two Hearts (2017) #100[141] (Evancho's 7th consecutive #1 ranking on the Classical Albums Chart)[142]

2
Lindsey Stirling
(season 5 quarterfinalist)
856,000+[143]

Lindsey Stirling (2012) #23
Shatter Me (2014) #2
Brave Enough (2016) #5

3
The Texas Tenors
(season 4, 4th place)
500,000+[144]

The Texas Tenors (album)|Country Roots, Classical Sound (2009) did not chart
The Texas Tenors (album)|Country Roots, Classical Sound: Remastered Special Edition (2011) did not chart
O Night Divine (2013) did not chart on Billboard 200; #22 Classical Albums chart[145]
You Should Dream (2013) did not chart on Billboard 200; #5 Classical Albums chart[146]
First 5 Years Live (2014) did not chart on Billboard 200; #11 Classical Albums chart[147]
Rise (2017) #111; #1 Classical Albums Chart, #5 Country Album Sales Chart, #22 Top Current Albums Chart[148]

4
Grace VanderWaal
(season 11 winner)
200,000+[149]

Perfectly Imperfect (2016) #4

5
Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr.
(season 6 winner)
156,000+[150]

That's Life (2011) #34[151]
Christmas Made for Two (2013) did not chart

6
Bianca Ryan
(season 1 winner)
150,000+[152]

Bianca Ryan (2006) #57
Christmas Everyday (2007) did not chart
The True Meaning of Christmas (2009) did not chart

7
Cas Haley
(season 2 runner-up)
40,000+[153][154]

Cas Haley (2008) #8
Connection (2010) did not chart
La Si Dah (2013) did not chart

8
Michael Grimm
(season 5 winner)
22,000+[155]

Michael Grimm Live (2007) did not chart
I Am Michael Grimm (2009) did not chart
Leave Your Hat On (2010) #101
Michael Grimm (2011) #13

9
Neal E. Boyd
(season 3 winner)
6,000+[156]

My American Dream (2009) #195

text: Contestants who have competed on other reality shows[edit]

text: This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: Many acts which have competed on America's Got Talent, but were ultimately eliminated before the final round, have either previously competed on or went on to compete in a number of other reality shows, most notably American Idol and America's Best Dance Crew.

text: The following America's Got Talent (AGT) contestants also appeared on American Idol (AI):

text:
AGT
Season
Year
Contestant
AI
Season
Year
Outcome

1
2006
Jessica Sanchez
11
2012
Runner-up

3
2008
Holli Harden
9
2010
Appeared

4
2009
Thia Megia
10
2011
Finished in the Top 11

4, 9
2009, 2014
Kelli Glover
1
2002
Appeared

6
2011
Shevonne Phillidor
15
2016
Appeared

9
2014
Nick Fradiani, member of Beach Avenue
14
2015
Winner

10
2015
Jenna Renae
15
2016
Top 24

11
2016
Sal Valentinetti
14
2015
Appeared

text: The following America's Got Talent (AGT) contestants also appeared on America's Best Dance Crew (ABDC):

text:
AGT
Season
Year
Contestant
ABDC
Season
Year
Outcome

2
2007
Jabbawockeez
1
2008
Champions

3
2008
Extreme Dance FX
5
2010
Competed as Blended Projekt

3, 4
2008, 2009
SQ Entertainment
1
2008
Runner-up

4
2009
BreakSk8
1
2008
Finished in fourth place

4
2009
FootworKINGz
6
2011
Competed

5
2010
Rated Next Generation (RNG)
7
2012
Finished in Top Four

5
2010
Strikers All-Stars
3
2009
Finished in Top Four

7
2012
787 Crew
6
2011
Competed

9
2014
Flight Crew Jump Rope
5
2010
Finished in fifth place, and competed as Saltare

text: The following America's Got Talent (AGT) contestants also appeared on these other shows:

text:
AGT
Season
Year
Contestant
Show
Season
Year
Network
Outcome

1
2006
Tonya Kay, member of Trey Knight's Stilt World
Who Wants to Be a Superhero?
1
2006
SyFy
5th Place

2
2007
Tammie Brown
RuPaul's Drag Race
1
2009
Logo
8th Place

2
2007
Tika "Sweetie" Rainn
Flavor of Love
1
2006
VH1
8th Place

3
2008
Derrick Barry
RuPaul's Drag Race
8
2016
Logo
5th Place

5
2010
Justin Hopkins
The Voice
2
2012
NBC
Advanced to Battle Rounds

5
2010
Murray SawChuck
Celebracadabra
1
2008
VH1
Appeared

5
2010
Alice Tan Ridley
30 Seconds to Fame
Pilot
2002
Fox
Winner

6
2011
Dani Shay
The Glee Project
2
2012
Oxygen
Appeared

7
2012
Trisha Paytas
Who Wants to Be a Superhero?
2
2007
SyFy
7th Place

7
2012
Horse
American Ninja Warrior
4
2012
G4 and NBC
Competed

7
2012
Bria Kelly
The Voice
6
2014
NBC
Advanced to Top 10 on Team Usher

7
2012
Academy of Villains
Fake Off
2
2015
TruTV
Appeared

7
2012
Lightwire Theatre
Fake Off
1
2014
TruTV
Winners

7, 8
2012, 2013
D'Angelo and Amanda
Live to Dance
1
2011
CBS
Winners

7
2015
Ben Blaque
Britain's Got Talent
10
2010
ITV
Advanced to the semi-finals

8
2015
Alexandr Magala
Britain's Got Talent
10
2010
ITV
9th place

8
2013
Kennedy Davenport
RuPaul's Drag Race
7
2015
Logo
4th Place

8
2013
Tummy Talk
The Gong Show
1
2017
ABC
Appeared

8
2013
Angela Hoover
First Impressions
1
2016
USA Network
Appeared

8
2013
KriStef Brothers
Fake Off
1
2014
TruTV
7th Place

8
2013
Taylor Williamson
Last Comic Standing
7
2010
NBC
Semifinalist

9
2014
Adrian Romoff
Child Genius
2
2016
Lifetime
Winner

10
2015
Leroy Patterson
Solitary
2
2007
Fox Reality
7th Place

10
2015
Myq Kaplan
Last Comic Standing
7
2010
NBC
Finalist

10
2015
Freelusion Dance Company
Fake Off
1
2014
TruTV
Fourth place, appeared as Freelusion USA

10
2015
Piff the Magic Dragon
Penn & Teller: Fool Us
1
2011
2014
ITV (U.K.)
The CW (U.S.)
Appeared

10
2015
Stevie Starr
Britain's Got Talent
4
2010
ITV
Advanced to the semi-finals[157]

11
2016
Cory Kahaney
Last Comic Standing
1
2003
NBC
Finalist

11
2016
Laura Bretan
Romania's Got Talent
6
2016
Pro TV
Winner[158]

text: International broadcasts[edit]

text: In Indonesia, the eleventh season has currently been broadcast by NET. since October 22, 2016 every Saturday and Sunday at 10.00 PM WIB.[159] But, since Monday, October 31, in addition to the weekend slot, the show has also been broadcast every Monday to Friday at 5.00 PM WIB as the replacement of the currently concluded TV drama, the second season of Kesempurnaan Cinta, which was concluded on Friday, October 28, 2016.[160]


document_title: Overwatch seasonal events

question_text: when does the summer event start for overwatch 2018

root

text: Overwatch seasonal events

text: Overview[edit]

text: Over the course of developing Overwatch, Blizzard opted against using a downloadable content model to extend the game and bring post-sale revenues, as they had developed the game around the mechanic of allowing players to switch out to new heroes during the course of a match as to meet current strategic conditions; by requiring players to purchase new heroes, such a model would have hampered this approach.[1] Instead, they opted to include microtransactions through which players can buy loot boxes, which contain four randomized cosmetic items, including characters skins, victory poses, emotes, spray tags, highlight introductions, and player icons. This allowed them to create an incentivized level progression system that would reward players with a loot box for every level they earned from experience gained in playing matches.[2] Working alongside this, players can earn in-game coins through some loot box rewards or as a consolation prize for receiving a duplicate loot box reward. These coins can be used to purchase any of the available cosmetic items (with the exception of player icons), the cost reflecting the rarity of obtaining the item through a loot box.

tag: p

text: Beginning in August 2016, Blizzard began introducing seasonal events, starting with the Summer Games event which corresponded with the 2016 Summer Olympics. Overwatch's director Jeff Kaplan said the goal of these seasonal events was to make the game "feel alive", correlating with real-world events.[3] The company has a history of creating in-game seasonal events, such as the Valentine's Day and New Year's events in World of Warcraft. Other competitor games, such as Destiny, League of Legends and Team Fortress 2, also implement in-game seasonal events.[4]

text: Events have generally included at least one new game mode, which typically is only available to play while that event is active; one exception is the "Capture the Flag" mode introduced during the Chinese New Year event in early 2017, which has been brought back to the game as a permanent feature in the game's casual Arcade matchmaking mode. Players are typically rewarded with loot boxes for playing matches in these seasonal game modes, and the game offers unique achievements and associated cosmetic rewards for completing certain goals within them.[5]

text: In addition to new games modes, these seasonal events include unique cosmetic items that can be obtained primarily during the event. Blizzard develops a large amount of content for these events, not all which ends up available to players.[6] Initially, these items could only be obtained through event-themed loot boxes that are guaranteed to contain at least one event-themed item, which could either be earned through leveling up, completing the event game modes, or through microtransactions;[7][8] however, in response to player feedback and avoid an apparent paywall access to these items, Blizzard allowed players to purchase these items with in-game currency at a higher cost than a non-event item of the same rarity, starting from the second seasonal event onward.[9][10] When the event is completed, the themed loot boxes and cosmetic items are no longer are available until the event is run again. However, players retain and can use all unique event items they have earned after the event.[7] Not all event items will be limited in this manner, as Blizzard plans to have certain event items be possible loot obtained from a regular loot box in the future.[11]

text: Several seasonal events, such as Summer Games, Halloween Terror, and Winter Wonderland, have recurred. However, on bringing these events back, the development team has added new changes to the event to keep them fresh and to reflect any new heroes or other content added to the game since the previous event's occurrence; for example, the 2017 Halloween "Junkenstein's Revenge" included a new endless mode and support for some of the newer heroes.[12] Recurring events also feature new themed cosmetic items for these recurring events, along with the return of the previous cosmetics which can be found in the event loot boxes or bought for a reduced coin amount.[13] Not all seasonal events are designed for recurrence, such as the lore-heavy "Uprising" event which took place in April 2017. Kaplan said that Blizzard has plans as to how these events will evolve in the future.[14]

text: 2016 events[edit]

text: Summer Games[edit]

text: In August 2016, Blizzard released its first seasonal event in celebration of the concurrent 2016 Summer Olympics. Both Blizzard's "Summer Games" and the Olympics ran throughout the month. Summer Games added 100 new cosmetic character options and a new game mode, Lúcioball.[7]

text: Lúcioball was designed as a futuristic soccer game in which two teams of three Lúcio characters attempt to push a ball into their opponents' goal. Played in four-minute matches on the special stadium map, Estádio das Rãs, players use two kinds of attacks to control the ball's movements: primarily, a melee attack and a secondary, powerful sonic boom that could knock back opponents as well (frequently called "booping" by players). Players can also use the level's environmental perks (e.g., jump pads and speed-boosting walls) to secure strategic advantage on the field.[7] PC Gamer felt that the mode felt closer to a "multiplayer carnival game than a fleshed-out, standalone mode".[15]

text: Halloween Terror[edit]

text: Blizzard released its second seasonal event for Halloween, which lasted throughout the month of October 2016. It included over 100 new cosmetic items (in jack-o'-lantern-themed loot boxes) and the game's first game mode against computer players, Junkenstein's Revenge.[16] Several characters received new Halloween-themed cosmetic skins. PC Gamer wrote that they were among the game's best add-ons,[9] and Kill Screen felt the new character skins were much more enjoyable compared to those offered for the Summer Games.[17] Players could now purchase the seasonal add-ons with in-game credits (at a premium), in response to criticism Blizzard received from players during the Summer Games.[16]

text: In Junkenstein's Revenge, four players cooperatively guard a castle door from oncoming waves of enemies and bosses. Set in a themed section of the game's Eichenwalde map, players select a difficulty level and choose between the characters Ana, Hanzo, McCree, and Soldier:_76, before fighting off approaching mindless "zomnic" drones, long-range "zombardiers," exploding tires, and costumed versions of the characters Reaper, Roadhog, Symmetra, Mercy, and Junkrat (as the titular Dr. Junkenstein).[15] The game mode includes new voice work and is based on a companion comic book released concurrently.[15]

text: The new mode was generally praised by commentators. PC Gamer wrote that the event resembled a similar event run on the team shooter Team Fortress 2 since 2009. Though the reviewer found the Junkenstein mode pleasant, he wrote that in comparison to Team Fortress 2's Mann vs. Machine mode, Junkenstein felt "shallow" and similar to Lúcioball in its simplistic map flow, giving little room for player movement. He also wondered why the mode was limited to four specific characters.[15] Eurogamer's Robert Purchase found the event fun and considered it a good distraction from Overwatch's main modes, but also recognized that if it was kept on after the Halloween Terror event, it would become a stale game mode.[18] Heather Alexandra for  Kotaku felt that the mode demonstrated that a co-operative player-versus-environment mode would fit well as a permanent feature within Overwatch as it required good team coordination to complete more challenging matches.[19]

text: The event ended a few hours earlier than had been planned, leaving some players upset as they were waiting for as long as possible collecting the themed loot boxes in-game before trying to spend in-game coins or purchasing loot boxes to get the cosmetic items they were missing.[20]

text: Winter Wonderland[edit]

text: The holiday-themed Winter Wonderland event ran for the latter half of December 2016 through the first days of the new year. Like previous events, it added over 100 themed cosmetic items for players to obtain via loot boxes or in-game currency, as well as provided snowy versions of two of the game's maps.[21] One cosmetic items included the first Legendary skin for Mei since the game's release, a Santa-like outfit; with this skin equipped, it also changed the appearance of Mei's Cryo-Freeze from a simple block of ice to a frozen snowman.[22] Players criticized the skin, feeling that it did not vary as much from Mei's normal outfits and appeared to be a simple recoloring of her default skin, in comparison to what other characters' Legendary skins had been.[22] Blizzard admitted that their "'cool meter' was off" when they designed this skin, believing that players would take to the Cryo-Freeze effect as a reason to value the skin. Blizzard stated that they had plans for another Mei Legendary skin, along the lines of what players would expect, in early 2017.[23]

text: The event featured a new deathmatch mode called "Mei's Snowball Offensive". The mode took place on the smaller Ecopoint: Antartica map, introduced in the previous months for standard deathmatch play. Six players each play Mei, but where her Endothermic Blaster, which normally fires a stream of damaging cold, can only fire a single snowball. Players must find a snowball pile scattered around the map to reload the weapon. Further, her Ultimate ability allows her to fire a machine-gun-like string of snowballs for a brief period. Otherwise, Mei's other abilities (Ice Wall and Cyro-Freeze) remain the same. A single snowball hit kills the struck until the round is complete.[21] Kotaku claims this mode was generally not well received by players as the act of having to reload the Blaster made one too vulnerable, and with the permadeath mechanic in play, the mode was not fun nor captured the spirit of a snowball fight.[24]

text: 2017 events[edit]

text: Year of the Rooster[edit]

text: A Chinese New Year-themed event launched a few days before the actual holiday on January 28, 2017, and centered on celebrating the Year of the Rooster. As with past events, the Chinese New Year event introduced over 100 new cosmetic items, including the promised new Legendary skin for Mei to make up for the poorly-received one she had gotten during the Winter Wonderland event.[25] Other skins for Roadhog, Reinhardt, Winston and Zenyatta alluded to the Chinese novel Journey to the West.[26]

text: The event introduced the first Capture the Flag mode for Overwatch called "Capture the Rooster"; Blizzard had looked at adding such a mode for a few years during Overwatch's development but had difficulty with the mechanics due to the vastly different set of abilities offered by the characters that could imbalance the mode towards fast-moving characters.[27] Played on the Lijiang Tower map, normally used for Control modes, each team has a flag near their base. To capture the other opponent's flag, a character must stay near the flag and not take damage for a few seconds. Once they have taken the flag, they then must return it to their team's base, scoring a point if they do so. If they die while bringing the flag back, either a teammate can try to capture it, or the opposing team must stay near the flag, avoiding taking damage for a few seconds, to return it to their base. Teams can score with the opposing team's flag even if their team's flag has been taken. The first team to three scores, or the team with the highest score after five minutes, wins the match.[28]

text: Following the event, Blizzard introduced a more general Capture the Flag mode, playable on any of the Control maps, into the Arcade modes as well as making it an option for custom games with several adjustable parameters.[29]

text: Overwatch Archive: Uprising[edit]

text: Uprising ran for most of the month of April 2017, and was the first seasonal event not tied to any real-world event, but instead used to expand the lore of Overwatch. The story centered around one of the last official missions of the Overwatch team before they were disbanded—having to end the threat of a hostile Omnic force known as the Null Sector in its attack on the citizens of London—; which also happened to be Tracer's first mission. Over 100 new cosmetic items were added with this event, many based on the uniforms and backstory of the original Overwatch forces.[30] A digital comic retelling this story was released alongside the event.[31] According to Kaplan, the Uprising event was something Blizzard felt had been asked for by players since they started offering the seasonal events. Players had requested non-holiday-themed events, as well as sought more details on the setting and history of the Overwatch world.[31]

text: The event added a new cooperative player-versus-environment mode called "Uprising", played on the King's Row map set in London. In the standard mode, which can be played at one of four difficulty levels, four players select from the characters of Tracer, Reinhardt, Torbjörn, and Mercy. From there, the players are directed by in-game narration to take several control points while fighting against waves of Null Sector Omnics that try to stop them. Eventually, they must then escort an explosive weapon to a sealed door in order to access the heart of the Null Sector facility and end their threat for good. If a player was downed, any of the other still-surviving players could help them up by interacting with that character for a few moments (or through Mercy's Ultimate ability of Resurrection). If all four players are downed, or the explosive is destroyed before reaching the sealed doors, the round ends as a loss.[30][32]  A separate mode allowed players to complete the same mission without being limited in character selection, but without any of the character-specific dialogue; Blizzard added this based on feedback from Junkenstein's Revenge, so as to provide a less restrictive way to enjoy the game mode.[33]

text: The Uprising mode was considered a much-improved version of a player-versus-environment mode compared to Junkenstein's Revenge from the Halloween event. Cecilia D'Anastasio for Kotaku felt the mode was much more dynamic since it required players to move throughout the map rather than stay in one general location, and as the four default characters represent a balanced team, the mode calls for more careful teamwork and strategy. D'Anastasio also felt that with new voice lines to support this mode, it helped to establish the game's lore for players.[34] PC Gamer argued that the Uprising event demonstrated the potential for a strong team-based story-driven campaign developed within the Overwatch narrative.[35]

text: The event had mistakenly ended a few hours earlier than expected on May 1, 2017; Blizzard apologized and extended the event for an additional day into May 2 to allow players to finish acquiring and purchasing the event loot boxes and skins.[36]

text: While the event was just named "Uprising" at its release, Blizzard stated in 2018 that they considered it to be the first "Overwatch Archive" annual event that will be used to explore the history of the characters and narrative.[37]

text: Anniversary[edit]

text: The Anniversary event, ran from the end of May 2017, celebrated Overwatch's first year since release. Gameplay-wise, it added three new Arena maps used for the smaller-scale Elimination games, and which will remain in rotation after the events' conclusion. The Eliminate mode also received two variants. In one-on-one "Limited Duel" matches, each player is presented with the same selection of three random heroes for play for that round. In three-on-three "Lockout Elimination", the heroes used by the winning team on a round are locked out for the next round.[38]

text: In addition, over one hundred new cosmetic items are available, including new dancing emotes for each of the characters.[38] The dance emotes were found to evoke references to popularized dance moves in other works, such as Mei's dance being similar to the "Hare Hare Yukai" dance used at the end credits for the anime The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.[39][40]

text: Summer Games 2017[edit]

text: A second Summer Games event was held from August 8 to August 29, 2017.[41] This event brought back the 3-on-3 soccer-like mode, Lucioball, introduced from the first Summer Games, adding additional arenas for the event to be played in, but removing the ability to "boop" other players.[13] In addition to casual matchmaking for Lucioball, Blizzard also introduced a ranked play system for Lucioball, separate from the game's normal Competitive mode. By participating in this "Copa Lucioball" mode, players earned Competitive Points (CP), the same in-game currency earned playing Competitive matches, and used towards purchasing special weapon skins (such as golden weapons).[41][42]

text: The previous skins and other cosmetic items offered from the first Summer Games were made available again to obtain in loot crates or purchasable from in-game coins at a lower cost, while additional Summer Games skins were added, purchasable at their normal cost.[42]

text: Halloween Terror 2017[edit]

text: The Halloween Terror 2017 event ran from October 10 to November 2, 2017. The event brought back "Junkenstein's Revenge" from the previous year's event, but added an endless-mode variant that challenges players to defend the door through as many waves as possible. This mode allowed players to have four additional characters to select from, Genji, Torbjorn, Widowmaker, and Zenyatta, in addition to McCree, Soldier: 76, Ana, and Hanzo. Teams lasting the longest were tracked via an online scoreboard.[43]

text: New skins and cosmetic items were added to the event, along with the items from the previous Halloween Terror. With the exclusion of the tombstone victory poses introduced in the previous event, all these could be obtained from loot boxes or in-game coin purchase. Blizzard opted to remove the tombstone victory poses from loot box rewards as they believed these no longer fit with the characters' personalities, but still allowed players to purchase them in-game.[44]

text: Winter Wonderland 2017[edit]

text: The winter-focused "Winter Wonderland 2017" event ran from December 12, 2017 through January 1, 2018. It brought back the previous year's "Winter Wonderland" content, including the "Mei Snowball Offensive" mode and previous cosmetic items, along with new skins and other cosmetics. It also added a new Arcade mode, "Yeti Hunter". In this asymmetric mode, five players, each playing as Mei, attempt to defeat one player controlling Winston (acting as the Yeti) in a boss battle on Nepal's Village stage. Yeti Hunt is the first Overwatch mode to use role selection; players can indicate their preference to play as a Mei or as the Yeti. The Winston player must elude the Mei team, which can freeze him, use ice walls to impede his movement, or catch him in a snare trap (which replaces Mei's usual Ultimate). After collecting four pieces of meat, which spawn randomly in predetermined locations around the map, Winston unleashes his Ultimate ability for a short period which temporarily boosts his health, reduces his jump cooldown, and gives him powerful melee attacks. When a Mei player dies, they will respawn after a short delay and cost their team a life. The match is over once the Mei team either defeats Winston or loses all five of their lives.[45] Kaplan described the Yeti Hunt as a light-hearted mode to be played for a few matches rather than hundreds of hours.[14]

text: 2018 events[edit]

text: Year of the Dog[edit]

text: The Chinese New Year event reoccurred from February 8 to March 5, 2018, now reflecting the Year of the Dog.[14][46] New cosmetic items relating to the theme were released, in addition to the existing cosmetics from the previous event. A new map, "Ayutthaya", inspired by Thailand and specifically designed for the Capture the Flag mode, was introduced in this event. Additionally, new Capture the Flag rules for all modes were updated, replacing the potential to have these end as draws by instead playing tie-breaking rounds with the teams' flags starting closer to each other on each subsequent round. The changes also eliminated the short period before players could pick up the flag, now able to pick up the flag instantaneously, but any use of a character's active skills or ultimate abilities that provide mobility or invulnerability would force them to drop the flag, and render the flag unable to be picked up for a few moments. These changes were to make games feel "much more offensive, and much more action-packed".[47] Additionally, a competitive mode for Capture the Flag, following a similar format as the competitive Lucioball mode in the 2017 Summer Games event, was run during the event, rewarding players with Competitive Points and unique items for the end-of-event placement.[48]

text: As part of the event, Blizzard featured its inaugural "Puppy Rumble", modeled after the Puppy Bowl, on February 19, 2018, featuring puppies dressed in Overwatch character outfits in mock events. All of the animals during the event were put up for adoption through the event's co-sponsor Petfinder, as well as promoting animal adoption through other local adoption agencies.[49]

text: Overwatch Archive: Retribution[edit]

text: The Overwatch Archive event from the previous year returned, and ran from April 10, 2018. It brought back the narrative-driven player-versus-environment mode introduced in Uprising. It also featured a new mode titled "Retribution", which will take place on a new map, Rialto, which entered the game's map rotation as a Payload map outside of the Retribution event, on May 3, 2018.[50] This was a four-player co-operative mode, based on the characters Reaper, McCree, Moira, and Genji as they escape from Talon forces; alternatively, this mode also includes an All-Hero mode where players can select any of the available characters. New skins and cosmetic items were available in loot boxes during this time.[51][37][52] The new Retribution event was aimed to provide a more replayable experience compared to the prior Uprising event. This included eliminating the waypoint approach they as to reduce elements on the user interface and instead allow players to naturally figure out how to progress in the mission. They also included "specials", unique enemies with special abilities to pose an immediate threat to the players rather than just waves of strong enemies, and included an enemy artificial intelligence systems to better react to players, including in the All-Hero mode. Much of the ideas of this mode were based on concepts from the Left 4 Dead games.[53]

text: Anniversary 2018[edit]

text: The second anniversary event ran from May 22 to June 11, 2018. Also with new cosmetic items, the event included a limited time competitive deathmatch mode with an exclusive map, Petra. In addition to previous Anniversary cosmetic items, all Anniversary loot boxes included cosmetic items from all previous seasonal events, and these are also available to buy with in-game gold.[54][55]

text: Summer Games 2018[edit]

text: The third Summer Games event is ran from August 9–30, 2018. The Lucioball event returned with a new stadium map based on Busan, South Korea.[56]

text: Halloween Terror 2018[edit]

text: The 2018 iteration of Halloween terror is scheduled to run from October 10–31, 2018. The Dr. Junkenstein's Revenge mode will be updated to include the changes that hapened throughout the last year, for example, the changes to Symmetra. However, the player-versus-environment map remains largely unchanged, with the 2 modes and 4 difficulties each of the last year's event, however Brigitte was added to the game mode.[57]